Five go photo-taking

09/08/2011

August 9, 2011: Canon’s biggest annual Australian and New Zealand online photographic competition for amateur photographers, EOS Photo5, is back for a fifth year, with five fresh challenges and a new judging panel.
The five briefs contained in the EOS Photo5 box – which Canon sends to competition entrants – are made up of everyday objects and include instructions to incorporate specific creative photography techniques into a shot. Last year, the EOS Photo5 objects were an eye dropper, bubble gum, incense, confetti, and ‘Inspired by sound’ was the ‘Open Brief’. This year’s briefs remain a secret until their release on September 19.

Those who entered the 2010 competition are automatically eligible to request one of the limited number of boxes, while new entrants are required to submit an image in order to qualify. (2010 winner ‘LouDD’ , Canon EOS 1000D, above right.)

Those who miss out on one of the EOS Photo5 boxes can still enter the challenge through the ‘Open Brief’ which is now live on the EOS Photo5 site.

The winner of each individual brief will receive a Canon EOS 5D Mark II Premium Kit (camera body and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens) and a three-day creative photography workshop in Queenstown, New Zealand with EOS Masters Jackie Ranken and Mike Langford.

Similar to last year, in addition to the winners for each of the five briefs, there is also the ‘Portfolio Competition’ for the photographer who enters the best set of images in all five briefs. The winner of the ‘Portfolio Competition’ will also receive a Canon EOS 5D Mark II Premium Kit and the creative photography workshop, as well as a Canon PIXMA Pro 9500 Mark II professional photo printer and the new Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye lens.

EOS Photo5 2011 will place a greater emphasis on ‘learning’ in order to encourage enthusiasts to take images they never thought possible. Through the EOS Photo5 website and Canon’s Facebook page, the judges’ valuable tips and tricks, from the basic to the more advanced, will be shared to spur photographic experimentation.

‘EOS Photo5 pushes the boundaries of photographic expression, by challenging photographers of all levels to explore their creativity and take their skills to a whole new level,’ said Chris Macleod, brand manager, EOS, Canon Australia.

Fuelled by the steady growth of digital SLR photography and the popularity of online photo sharing, the EOS Photo5 competition attracts more entrants each year and Canon says the quality of submissions has consistently increased. Last year there were over 8000 entries from Australia and New Zealand, an increase of 45.5 percent since the competition was first launched.

Finalists of the 2011 EOS Photo5 competition will be selected by a new judging panel comprising some of the biggest names in photography: Yervant, Mercury, Chris Tovo, Mark Horsburgh, Peter Eastway and Nick Rains.

Winners will be determined by the World of EOS community with voting commencing on November 9. Last year more than 27,000 votes were received from World of EOS members across Australia and New Zealand. Everyone who votes has the chance to win a Canon EOS 7D Super Kit (camera body plus EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens).